Mumbai artist to mark solo gallery debut with animal monoprints

Mumbai artist, whose works adorn the homes of Saeed Mirza and Wendell Rodricks, creates animal monoprints for her debut solo

A black-and-white monoprint of an elephant 

Back in 2010, when Arti Jatar decided to showcase her oil-on-glass works as part of a group show in Goa, little did she realise that the exhibition would lead her to deep-dive into art full-time. After all, painting was only a childhood hobby for the Bandra-born artist, who studied Commerce and went on to work as an accounting professional in Australia for over seven years before returning to the city.

Arti Jatar

“It was my first group show, and (filmmaker) Saeed Mirza and (fashion designer) Wendell Rodricks bought my works. That motivated me,” recalls Jatar, who is now hosting her first solo at Gallery Pradarshak in Khar. Titled Monoprints, the exhibition features 16 works showcasing different aspects of nature, including animals and seascapes.

Understanding monoprints
Known as the most painterly (celebrating the medium) method among the printmaking techniques, a monoprint is a single impression of an image, where no two prints look alike. While materials like wood blocks, stones and metal plates can be used in the technique, Jatar uses glass. “I spread printing ink (thick ink used for newspapers) on glass and then, create different forms and designs using instruments like palette knife, blade, rags, rollers or cotton swabs. While the print is wet, I transfer it onto paper, so that a reverse image is produced,” informs Jatar, who takes two days to finish each piece, which includes the time taken for the print to dry once transferred. “It took me a year to create works for the exhibit,” she adds.

Colour effect
From shades of green and blue to yellow, red and black, Jatar has used a vibrant palette in her works. “I began with black and white forms but now, prefer colours. I use thick-quality cartridge paper and the effects are phenomenal. You can see light and dark tones as well as various textures and colours depending on the pressure put on the glass,” she says.

Monoprints of a fish, leaf and butterflies

Till: October 8, 11 am to 7 pm (closed on Sundays)
At: Gallery Pradarshak, Kalpana Building, 12th Road, Khar (W).
Call: 26462681

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